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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 116 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: bay · face · cue · spell · calf · band · staff · row

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — a short time
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a hint
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — magic
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. face — to confront
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. row — a line
  17. cue — a signal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — a young animal

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