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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. craft — boats
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitch — completely
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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