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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: field · rest · wake · craft · sharp · fine · stem · calf

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — boats
  8. field — farmland
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — a skill
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rest — what's left
  16. field — a subject
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — what's left

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