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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — to breed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — boats
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. capital — money
  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