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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 120 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: deal · board · spell · stem · straw · land · foot · staff

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stem — to come from
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — to handle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — ground
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — to come down

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