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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: snap · mate · tear · branch · calf · craft · content · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — all right
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. branch — a division
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tear — to rip
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mate — to breed

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