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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · race · calf · staff · chair · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. race — humankind
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — a tool
  11. race — the arms race
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — to tease
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg

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