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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: craft · chair · calf · stand · firm · face · bore · can

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. face — to point toward
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. face — to confront

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