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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.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — decided
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — a company
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. foot — a measure
  12. firm — steady
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — in football
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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