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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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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 · cell · toast · staff · land · arm · calf · club

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tube — a container
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for golf
  11. toast — bread
  12. club — a group
  13. cell — a phone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for dancing
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cell — in biology
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — employees
  24. tube — in a tire

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