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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: calf · bear · craft · race · staff · last

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. last — finally
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. craft — boats
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. calf — of the leg

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