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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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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: land · current · mark · ball · craft · calf · wound · press

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — a country
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. mark — a grade
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — electric
  18. press — a publisher
  19. current — of water
  20. press — newspapers
  21. ball — a dance
  22. press — to push
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — boats

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