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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 116 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a ring

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