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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a great time
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — to confront
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to click

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