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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fall — to drop
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — in sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — of the year
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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