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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: bank · mine · squash · staff · calf · bass · sharp · clip

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — a video
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. clip — for paper
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — a stick
  22. clip — to cut
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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