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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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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: rest · staff · club · lean · root · hide · toast · hand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. staff — employees
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — help
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — a group
  7. lean — thin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — a break
  10. root — the cause
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to bend
  23. toast — bread
  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