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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · calf · ground · staff · straw · race · bound · wave

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. race — humankind
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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