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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.

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: craft · mate · saw · spring · safe · calf · chair · bark

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — a friend
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chair — a leader
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spring — the season
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. calf — of the leg

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