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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: snap · calf · chest · coach · race · staff · content · rush

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — humankind
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — the amount
  16. race — a contest
  17. snap — to click
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chest — a box
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rush — to hurry

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