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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — the animal

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