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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fork — in a road
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pop — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pop — soda
  24. fork — to eat with

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