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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — there
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. present — the time now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. branch — a division
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. branch — of a bank

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