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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: field · lash · foot · staff · rush · root · lean · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. root — the cause
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. field — for sport

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