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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — wild animals
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — to rob
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a face
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. band — a ring
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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