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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: staff · mark · sharp · plane · chest · foot · track · suit

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — in cards
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. suit — to fit
  24. track — a path

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