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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — clever
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bank — for money
  12. field — farmland
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — a subject
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. staff — a stick
  17. field — for sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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