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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.

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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. firm — steady
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a round shape

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