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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — boats
  8. kick — in football
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a ring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — a path
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a music group

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