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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: craft · content · staff · current · foot · stand · rest · calf

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — happy
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — the amount
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — happening now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — electric
  24. calf — of the leg

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