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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — a group
  18. fall — to drop
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wind — moving air
  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