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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: wind · hide · calf · fall · cabinet · squash · craft · mug

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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