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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — tied together
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — a stem cell

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