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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: file · mark · calf · wake · craft · spring · game · fall

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mark — a trace
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — boats
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. file — a document
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a grade
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — a match
  24. spring — of water

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