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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: bank · sharp · calf · foot · root · face · rush · last

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — final
  10. face — to point toward
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — part of the head
  16. root — the cause
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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