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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · ground · calf · bear · roll · cold · ball · staff

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cold — an illness
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ground — a position
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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