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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: staff · rush · foot · temple · lean · mate · object · kick

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lean — thin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — to bend
  14. object — an aim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. foot — a measure

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