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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: object · face · fine · wind · present · rest · foot · staff

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. face — to confront
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — high quality
  18. present — a gift
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — there
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — an aim

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