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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · band · toast · hide · staff · face · roll · track

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. roll — a cake
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — to keep track
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — a song
  19. face — to confront
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. staff — a stick
  23. face — to point toward
  24. roll — a list

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