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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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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: key · branch · staff · mug · drill · fan · calf · fall

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — army training
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fall — the season
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mug — a face

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