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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a city
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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