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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 · wound · track · shower · calf · suit · ground · rest

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — the earth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a path
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — employees
  15. wound — an injury
  16. shower — rain
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — a position
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  24. calf — of the leg

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