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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 120 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: calf · can · stick · last · current · lean · spell · chair

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. last — final
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lean — thin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — a leader
  14. current — electric
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go on

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