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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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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: hide · craft · season · prune · rest · row · kick · mate

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. season — in sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — a break
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. row — to paddle
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a quarrel
  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