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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: kid · hand · bank · calf · lie · spell · staff · board

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. staff — employees
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — letters

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