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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.

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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — employees
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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