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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — for catching
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to drill
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — decided
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — a break
  22. staff — a stick
  23. net — in sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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