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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — soda
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. pop — to visit
  10. field — farmland
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. row — to paddle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. staff — a stick
  22. field — for sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mouse — the animal

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