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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 120 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: calf · wind · straw · pass · content · chair · rock · hand

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — the amount
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. content — happy
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — to sit on

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