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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. roll — a list
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitch — completely
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. deal — to handle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cell — in biology
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. deal — a big deal

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