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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: lean · wake · pop · can · court · content · calf · staff

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — to visit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. content — the amount
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. content — happy
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — soda
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — to be able to
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of a king

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