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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: calf · wake · straw · pass · sharp · craft · stand · cell

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a skill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pass — a permit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cell — a phone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. 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