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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fine — all right
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. capital — money
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — high quality
  14. capital — a city
  15. squash — the sport
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — a break
  19. shower — rain
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fine — a penalty

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