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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: fork · pound · calf · lie · staff · rest · clip · game

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — a weight
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — a stick
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. clip — to cut
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. clip — a video
  24. lie — an untruth

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