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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: kick · firm · bank · staff · spring · sharp · board · foot

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spring — a coil
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — of water
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — in football
  10. staff — a stick
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — a measure
  16. firm — decided
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — of a river
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spring — the season

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