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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — of law
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — of a king
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stand — to bear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — for sport

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