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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: dip · fan · calf · season · staff · lean · row · arm

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — to sink
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — a line
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — to bend
  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