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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 · foot · wave · rush · toast · staff · kick · stick

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. staff — employees
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — in football
  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