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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: mate · key · saw · craft · calf · season · wind · tear

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — a friend
  24. key — the most important part

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