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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — to shout
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stand — to bear
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — animal skin
  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