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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: can · calf · content · bat · rest · current · craft · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — in football
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — happening now
  15. craft — a skill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. current — electric
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — a break

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