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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — in music
  4. season — in sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — to shout
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a handicraft

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