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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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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: bowl · chest · stick · staff · calf · ruler · saw · bear

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chest — a box
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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