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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — help
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — a company
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — to handle

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