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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — all right
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. root — of a word
  18. staff — employees
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — part of the body

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