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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.

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: craft · wax · calf · field · kick · coach · season · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — a skill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — after costs
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — for sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — in sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — in sport
  24. craft — boats

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