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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 116 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: land · bowl · leaves · calf · drill · bulb · staff · mark

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — to come down
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — army training
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — ground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — a stick
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mark — a grade
  24. calf — a young animal

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