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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · row · jam · leaves · last · craft · fork · calf

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a line
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fork — in a road
  12. last — finally
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. last — to go on
  15. craft — boats
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. row — to paddle
  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