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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. clip — for paper
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — a company
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. firm — decided

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