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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: craft · face · chip · object · calf · prune · hide · snap

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — an aim
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to click
  15. object — to protest
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. object — a thing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — of the leg

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