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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — letters
  8. craft — boats
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — a short time
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. last — finally
  19. date — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — final
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chair — to sit on

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