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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — of the year
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — clothes
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. foot — a measure
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fork — in a road

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