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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: cap · foot · wind · calf · staff · spring · vault · stand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a lid
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. stand — to bear
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cap — of ice
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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