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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: arm · date · dip · craft · calf · bay · pass · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. craft — boats
  18. chest — a box
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — part of the body

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