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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · saw · kid · chair · can · rock · wake

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — child
  7. chair — a leader
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. can — a tin

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