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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. degree — temperature
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. shower — rain

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