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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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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 · cell · rule · stick · craft · roll · wake · spell

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — a list
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — boats
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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