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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: toast · calf · tear · craft · stand · ball

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — a skill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ball — a dance
  17. craft — boats
  18. tear — from crying

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