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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · fan · fine · arm · craft · track · wound · deal

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — boats
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. deal — to handle
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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