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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 120 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: firm · staff · calf · game · rock · plane · bank · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — a company
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — a stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — a match
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — decided
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — steady
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rock — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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