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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 120 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: foot · drill · mine · calf · craft · season · stem · fine

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — army training
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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