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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
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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 · march · hide · spring · patient · club · object · staff

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — for golf
  5. spring — the season
  6. staff — a stick
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — of water
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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