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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pop — to visit
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. charge — electricity
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. capital — money
  23. charge — a price
  24. hide — to keep secret

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