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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · foot · coach · tear · present · staff

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — a gift
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — a measure
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. present — there
  13. tear — from crying
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — boats

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