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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — hurry
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. deal — to handle

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