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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — a stone
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. calf — a young animal

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