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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: last · suit · foot · mark · chair · bulb · rush · calf

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — to go on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — a leader

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