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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — to bend
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitch — completely
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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