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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: lash · mine · staff · bark · kick · land · foot · stand

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — to come down
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — ground
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — to bear
  24. staff — a stick

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