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

Word bank: staff · stick · ground · rest · snap · calf

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ground — crushed
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — a stick

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