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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. shower — rain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — to wash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wind — moving air
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — a stick

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