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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.

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: game · bank · mark · staff · cue · wound · calf · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. wound — an injury
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cue — a signal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — a stick
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — for money

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