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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: calf · arm · spring · staff · key · cabinet · stem · ground

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — the earth
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ground — crushed
  23. staff — employees
  24. cabinet — ministers

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