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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.

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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: straw · suit · ball · calf · stand · clip · last · wave

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — final
  10. clip — for paper
  11. last — to go on
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ball — a great time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stand — for spectators

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