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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 120 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: firm · craft · mouse · fall · content · tear · calf · race

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. race — humankind
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. race — a contest
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tear — to rip
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — decided

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