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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: chair · saw · calf · roll · mark · lean · current · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. roll — a list
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lean — to bend
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. content — happy
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — electric
  22. chair — a leader
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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