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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: leaves · file · staff · foot · wound · chair · face · pitcher

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — a leader
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — employees
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wound — an injury

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