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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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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: mark · lean · shower · kick · coach · racket · foot · staff

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. staff — a stick
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — thin
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to rest against

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