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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.

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: leaves · staff · march · coach · calf · file · mouse · straw

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a line of people

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