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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — to visit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pop — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — all right

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