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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: bark · stick · suit · lean · calf · deal · content · last

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — clothes
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bark — to shout
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — final
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. lean — thin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. last — finally
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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