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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. craft — boats
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a line of people
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — to come down
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — in football
  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