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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. march — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — low music
  13. season — in sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — of ice
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — boats
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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