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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — in control
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — boats
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. charge — electricity

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