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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 · pass · can · staff · wake · calf · march · chest

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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