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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · spring · rest · racket · calf · bowl · staff · charge

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. last — final
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — the season
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — in control
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. racket — for tennis
  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