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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: bark · calf · tube · jam · craft · lash · snap · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. snap — to click

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