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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. capital — a city
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — in sport

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