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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: staff · calf · bulb · stick · band · kick · bass · mate

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — low music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — to breed
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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