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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: face · bear · game · net · foot · last · staff · mug

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. net — after costs
  11. last — final
  12. foot — a measure
  13. staff — a stick
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — a cup
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. last — finally

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