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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — help
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — letters
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — in cards

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