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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 120 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: game · staff · stem · clip · band · calf · rest · firm

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — a break
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a match
  12. band — a ring
  13. firm — a company
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. firm — steady
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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