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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: calf · chest · tear · object · craft · club · snap · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. object — to protest
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. object — a thing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — boats
  13. snap — to click
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. club — a group
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. club — for dancing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. chest — a box

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