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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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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: object · root · foot · hand · staff · perch · bear · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — an aim
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — of a word

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