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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mug — a cup
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — a face
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mug — to rob
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. staff — employees
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — to get on
  19. bank — for money
  20. cold — an illness
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — a committee
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — a tool

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