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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: season · calf · toast · craft · bass · leaves · mouse · wind

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. craft — boats
  24. calf — of the leg

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