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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: last · craft · arm · snap · calf · suit · wax · pit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a skill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — a hole
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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