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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.

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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: last · foot · lie · bark · staff · wake · rest · bowl

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — final
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. last — to go 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