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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · root · rest · season · straw · staff

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — the cause
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — what's left

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