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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 · rash · mate · pound · patient · face · rock · calf

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — a series
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — of the leg

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