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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: calf · fine · fork · craft · season · board · safe · cold

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — high quality
  4. craft — boats
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — in a road
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. cold — not warm
  19. season — of the year
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cold — an illness

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