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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: cap · land · staff · bear · arm · calf · drill · mug

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — a stick
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — army training
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — a face
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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