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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: cabinet · rush · mark · perch · foot · staff · hide · object

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. staff — a stick
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. object — a thing
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — hurry
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — the bottom

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