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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mine — for digging
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hand — help
  15. chip — to eat
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. hand — part of the body

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