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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: deal · bowl · staff · calf · hand · cell · stand · season

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — to bear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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