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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 120 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: ground · craft · snap · mouse · calf · arm · pop · trunk

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. craft — boats
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — the animal

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