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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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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: staff · calf · wave · club · foot · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. club — for dancing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — a measure
  12. club — for golf
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. staff — employees
  18. club — a group

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