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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · mine · snap · mouse · racket · calf · staff · key

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to click
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mouse — for a computer

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