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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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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: cell · object · race · press · staff · calf · kick · foot

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. staff — employees
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cell — in biology
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — a thing
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — humankind
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kick — in football
  20. press — to push
  21. object — an aim
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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