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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — a coil
  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