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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.

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: hand · calf · coach · safe · chest · snap · leaves · wax

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. snap — to click
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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