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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: tube · wave · foot · snap · calf · branch · staff · cold

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cold — an illness
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cold — not warm
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — a division
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. foot — a measure
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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