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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
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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: bass · mine · staff · craft · track · roll · wind · calf

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a path
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — low music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — boats
  24. roll — a list

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