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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: date · mug · calf · spell · arm · row · staff · branch

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spell — magic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. row — a line
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — employees
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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