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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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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: calf · bulb · arm · band · fall · staff · club · game

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a match
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. club — a group
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — the season
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  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