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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 116 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. spring — the season
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — in a race
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pit — a hole
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. spring — of water

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