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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: hide · saw · staff · root · lie · foot · chip · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. foot — a measure
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — thin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — for betting

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