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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: last · patient · row · arm · calf · drill · craft · mate

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mate — to breed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. drill — army training
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — a practice
  24. last — final

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