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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — a break
  8. face — to point toward
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — part of the head
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. club — for golf
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rest — what's left

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