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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · fall · net · staff · spell · ground · chair · arm

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — a position
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. chair — a leader

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