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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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 skill
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  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