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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: calf · rest · mine · craft · row · stem · bear · snap

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — a line
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — to put up with

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