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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: calf · ball · arm · rush · sharp · staff · rule · firm

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a great time
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — a law
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. calf — a young animal

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