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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: foot · wake · land · staff · date · fall · kick · leaves

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — ground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  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