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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 · lie · rule · lash · deal · field · staff · bark

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. foot — a measure
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — to shout
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — a subject
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — a big deal

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