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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — the fruit
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pound — a weight
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. root — of a word
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. present — the time now
  21. root — the cause
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. root — of a plant
  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