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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · last · cold · ball · firm · content · calf · mate

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — to go on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — a company
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. last — finally
  14. content — happy
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — final
  17. mate — a partner
  18. content — the amount
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — decided
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. firm — steady
  24. calf — a young animal

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