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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: stick · mate · suit · craft · snap · calf · arm · march

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. suit — clothes
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — boats
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. march — the month

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