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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a path
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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