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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — hasty
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. present — the time now
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rash — a series
  12. mate — a partner
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — there
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mate — to breed
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — a stick

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