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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: foot · craft · chair · bear · calf · stand · stick · dip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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