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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · wax · snap · dip · ball · chair · craft · hide

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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