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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — of ice
  11. charge — a price
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — in control
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — the sport
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a rubber band

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