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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — low music
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pound — to hit hard

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