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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: craft · calf · field · cabinet · wound · rash · shower · fine

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fine — all right
  10. field — a subject
  11. wound — an injury
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. shower — to wash
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. shower — rain

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