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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. present — there
  10. clip — to cut
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — the time now
  23. clip — for paper
  24. leaves — to go away

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