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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: jam · fork · saw · calf · can · mug · last · hand

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — to go on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. last — finally
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mug — a face
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hand — help
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — a cup

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