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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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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 · sharp · chair · calf · rest · wind · fall · foot

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — employees
  7. sharp — clever
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fall — the season
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rest — a break
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. sharp — with an edge

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