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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. date — the fruit

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