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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spring — of water
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spring — a coil
  19. row — a line
  20. shower — rain
  21. spring — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. row — a quarrel

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