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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: can · bark · mate · arm · snap · calf · band · rest

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — to shout
  6. snap — to click
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — to breed
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a partner
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. rest — what's left

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