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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · foot · last · drill · chest · staff · dip · prune

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — finally
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — to trim
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — final
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — the tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chest — a box
  18. last — to go on
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. drill — a practice
  24. staff — employees

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