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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 120 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: present · fork · mate · arm · kick · craft · wave · game

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — there
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mate — a partner
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. present — a gift
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — to breed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — in football

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