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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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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: swing · hand · kick · foot · rest · staff · present · safe

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — help
  7. present — there
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — in football
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. present — a gift
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — part of the body

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