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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — boats
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a face
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — a skill

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