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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. calf — of the leg

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