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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — in sport
  12. bass — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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