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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — a break
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — the underground
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — government
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. craft — boats
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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