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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — the fish
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — a short time
  10. land — to come down
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — letters
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — magic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. staff — employees

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