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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · lean · calf · lash · wake · field · trunk · craft

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. field — for sport
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chair — a leader
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — thin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. craft — boats
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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