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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: mark · bay · rock · kid · mug · staff · spring · foot

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. staff — a stick
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kid — child
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kid — to tease
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mug — a face
  23. rock — to move gently
  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