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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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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 · dip · field · craft · ruler · hand · cell · mug

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. field — farmland
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mug — to rob
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. hand — help
  18. cell — a phone
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mug — a face
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mug — a cup

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