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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: kick · foot · racket · chair · staff · wound · can · lash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — a measure
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. staff — employees
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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