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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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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a word
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. staff — a stick
  21. root — the cause
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a ring

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