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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — to recline
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — a group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. row — a line
  24. charge — in control

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