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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — of law

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