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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mate — to breed
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. season — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — boats
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. march — the month
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cell — a phone

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