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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 120 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: foot · pit · tear · staff · nail · fan · wake · season

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. foot — a measure
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — of the year
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. tear — to rip

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