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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 116 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: calf · shower · season · firm · craft · pit · cell · cold

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — decided
  9. pit — a hole
  10. season — of the year
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — boats
  13. cold — not warm
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. firm — steady
  19. cold — an illness
  20. shower — rain
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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