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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kid — child
  3. mug — to rob
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a cup
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kid — to tease
  17. craft — boats
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — of the leg

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