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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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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: rest · row · cap · foot · object · craft · march · wound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. object — an aim
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — a thing
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. march — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — to protest
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wound — an injury

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