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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — a coil
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spring — the season
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the sport
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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