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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. craft — a skill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. last — final
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — to go on
  21. root — the cause
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — a measure

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