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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 always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fall — to drop
  20. roll — a cake
  21. staff — a stick
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fall — the season
  24. deal — an agreement

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