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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: calf · season · fall · row · rush · kick · craft · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — in sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — in football
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fall — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — to add flavour

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