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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 · can · foot · fall · club · spell · chair · kick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. can — a tin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fall — the season
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. club — for dancing
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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