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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: last · cell · calf · suit · lean · leaves · content · kid

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. last — finally
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. content — the amount
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — happy
  15. kid — child
  16. last — final
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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