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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: hide · fork · last · rush · chest · wind · staff · foot

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. staff — employees
  4. last — final
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — a box
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rush — a thrill

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