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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cap — a hat
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. row — to paddle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — a lid

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