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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: roll · perch · rule · face · fine · band · staff · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a music group
  8. rule — a law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. perch — the fish
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to point toward
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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