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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. spell — letters
  4. firm — a company
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — decided
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — magic
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a skill

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