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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
468
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 · wake · content · object · stick · scale · dip · calf

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. last — to go on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. last — final
  12. content — happy
  13. object — a thing
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. object — to protest
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. content — videos and posts

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