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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · calf · rush · craft · straw · rest · ball · squash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. craft — boats
  20. squash — to crush
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. squash — the sport

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