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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: ground · staff · lie · foot · mouse · swing · bank · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. swing — music
  3. kid — child
  4. foot — a measure
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — a position
  24. staff — a stick

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