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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — a stick
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rash — hasty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — a series
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — moving air
  24. swing — in golf

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