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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in biology
  5. craft — boats
  6. last — finally
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. craft — a skill
  11. net — in sport
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cell — a phone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. last — to go on
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. last — final
  23. rest — a break
  24. calf — a young animal

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