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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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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 · bound · patient · calf · rock · race · firm · fan

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — the arms race
  9. firm — steady
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — humankind
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — a contest
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — music

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