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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: snap · calf · chest · hand · lash · ball · cabinet · bank

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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