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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: arm · wave · rush · rest · prune · staff · foot · mark

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mark — a trace
  23. foot — a measure
  24. arm — 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