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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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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: fine · snap · cold · bear · cap · craft · calf · swing

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — boats
  21. swing — music
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to click
  24. cold — not warm

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