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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. 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. craft — a handicraft
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — a group
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spring — of water
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — to handle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cold — not warm
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — a cup
  20. swing — music
  21. club — for golf
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cold — an illness
  24. 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