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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: foot · hide · kick · roll · craft · fork · chair · can

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chair — a leader
  8. craft — boats
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kick — in football
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. can — a tin

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