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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · jam · squash · snap · content · calf · mug · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. mug — a cup
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — to crush
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — to rob

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