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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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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: arm · hand · sharp · calf · net · staff · mate · ball

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. sharp — clever
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. net — in sport
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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