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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: craft · calf · cold · rule · wave · field · mug · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — farmland
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rule — a law

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