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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: dip · field · board · calf · kick · row · craft · clip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. row — a line
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — in football
  20. field — farmland
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — a sauce

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