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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: can · craft · spring · deal · last · stock · calf · fan

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spring — a coil
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — to go on
  8. stock — shares
  9. craft — a skill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — final
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — finally
  24. can — a tin

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