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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cold — an illness
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — music

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