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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.

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: hide · season · staff · foot · pitcher · kid · root · lie

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — employees
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — to recline
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. kid — child
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — in sport
  14. foot — a measure
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. foot — part of the body

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