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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: staff · lash · nail · squash · chair · foot · track · wind

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. squash — to crush
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. squash — the sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — a path
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — a song
  23. staff — a stick
  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