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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 120 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.

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: object · lie · staff · wind · root · season · land · foot

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — of a word
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. land — a country
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — to protest
  10. season — in sport
  11. root — of a plant
  12. staff — a stick
  13. root — the cause
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — a measure
  22. season — of the year
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — a thing

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