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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a skill
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a line
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — boats
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — to paddle
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. jam — a tight spot

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