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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: craft · kick · rule · last · date · calf · hide · squash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a skill
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — in football
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rule — a law

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