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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kick — in football
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. season — of the year
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mate — a friend

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