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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 · arm · present · hand · cap · snap · kid · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kid — to tease
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — help
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. present — the time now
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to click
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — in cards
  24. present — there

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