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

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — thin
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. field — a subject
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. field — farmland
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — to rip
  21. plane — a tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mine — belonging to me

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