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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.

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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: mouse · rest · foot · content · staff · root · mine · hide

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rest — a break
  4. content — happy
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a word
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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