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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · staff · hand · leaves · arm · degree · mate · face

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hand — in cards
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — help
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a friend
  21. degree — temperature
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. foot — a measure

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