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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 · foot · branch · track · land · staff · dip · sharp

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — a path
  7. face — to confront
  8. track — to keep track
  9. land — to come down
  10. track — a song
  11. face — to point toward
  12. dip — to sink
  13. staff — a stick
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — a measure

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