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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: lean · clip · calf · roll · rash · craft · spell · toast

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to bend
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — a video
  6. roll — a list
  7. clip — for paper
  8. craft — a skill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. craft — boats
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — to cut

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