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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: content · craft · pop · wound · jam · calf · rest · snap

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. content — happy
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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