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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — boats
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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