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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · content · craft · leaves · pop · bay · calf · sharp

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chest — a box
  6. content — the amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pop — soda
  19. chest — of your body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pop — to visit
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com