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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — ground
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — an aim
  14. land — a country
  15. band — a ring
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — to play on
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — to come down
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. band — a music group
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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