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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: trunk · suit · staff · mate · calf · sharp · key · present

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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 — a young animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — clever
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — in music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — the time now
  21. key — the most important part
  22. staff — a stick
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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