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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. craft — a handicraft

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