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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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468
Word bank
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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — in a road
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — a contest
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. race — humankind
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a friend
  21. season — in sport
  22. mate — a partner
  23. race — the arms race
  24. jam — in traffic

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