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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 120 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: fine · last · lean · ball · mark · calf · cap · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — to go on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — thin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. last — final
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — finally
  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