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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 120 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: content · pound · craft · rush · wave · chip · calf · drill

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — army training
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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