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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — army training
  9. fall — the season
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. charge — a price
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — a skill
  22. drill — a practice
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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