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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: file · staff · rush · foot · pit · kick · firm · wake

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rush — hurry
  5. firm — steady
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — in football
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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