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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: calf · staff · stick · lie · cabinet · key · row · spring

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. row — a line
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — the season
  12. key — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — to recline
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — to paddle

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