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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: chair · stand · can · object · rush · content · swing · calf

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — to protest
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rush — hurry

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