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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wind — moving air
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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