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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: calf · spring · kick · rock · can · tear · bound · staff

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bound — obliged
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — of water
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tear — to rip
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tear — from crying
  22. spring — a coil
  23. can — a tin
  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