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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — a lid
  5. staff — employees
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a round shape

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