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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — ground
  9. lean — thin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — a country
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — hasty

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