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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: craft · last · calf · foot · patient · fall · safe · wind

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. fall — the season
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — a measure
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wind — moving air

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