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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: kid · rock · season · root · craft · wound · calf · stick

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — boats
  6. kid — child
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — the cause

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