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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
468
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: foot · march · mouse · wake · spring · kick · staff · last

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — in football
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. march — music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. last — to go on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. march — the month
  21. last — final
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — a thrill

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