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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a face
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — to come down
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a cup
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rash — on the skin

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