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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — to come down
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — for digging
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — soda
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pop — music
  24. land — ground

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