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

Word bank: craft · fork · rest · ruler · roll · wound · calf · cap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. craft — boats
  4. cap — a hat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — a break
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — what's left
  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