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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cap — a hat
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — boats
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. object — a thing
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — a lid
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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