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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 · fine · cold · staff · jam · deal · wake · squash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — high quality
  16. staff — employees
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cold — an illness
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. calf — of the leg

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