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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: leaves · staff · hand · calf · stand · wound · bear · ball

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hand — in cards
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hand — help
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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