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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — for golf
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — thin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — a group
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. perch — the fish
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — for a bird

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