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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: cap · craft · calf · bay · mate · march · kick · squash

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — the month
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. march — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — a lid
  17. kick — in football
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. craft — boats
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a skill

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