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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a music group
  6. scale — size or range
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — a company
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — the cause
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — in music
  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