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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.

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: mug · mark · staff · foot · straw · kid · key · tube

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. staff — employees
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a grade
  12. key — in music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mug — a face
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — the underground
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — a container
  24. mug — a cup

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