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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 · staff · kick · arm · cue · clip · cap · rush

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. clip — a video
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. clip — to cut
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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