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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: staff · trunk · temple · foot · rash · lean · board · hand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — a series
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. board — a committee
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — to bend

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