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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: content · calf · clip · season · stick · foot · can · hand

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. season — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. foot — a measure
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — the amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — happy
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — to be able to
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  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