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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.

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: straw · craft · calf · arm · cue · bark · squash · plane

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cue — a hint
  12. plane — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — to shout
  22. squash — to crush
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cue — for pool

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