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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.

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: season · cold · safe · staff · calf · bank · spring · arm

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. spring — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — to add flavour

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