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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: cell · lean · staff · foot · fork · bat · squash · mark

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lean — thin
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bat — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fork — in a road
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fork — a garden tool

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