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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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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: rule · mate · staff · lash · bear · wind · club · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. club — for golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — a friend
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rule — government
  24. mate — to breed

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