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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — final
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — completely
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. last — to go on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — rain
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. shower — to wash

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