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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cold — an illness
  8. field — a subject
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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