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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a document
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — for sport
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a line of people
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — farmland

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