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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · rash · foot · hide · pitcher · land · staff · temple

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rash — hasty
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — a series
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — for a lock
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — to come down

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