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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
468
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: staff · lash · mug · rest · foot · bark · calf · roll

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — a stick
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — a break
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mug — a face
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — a cake
  24. foot — the bottom

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