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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spring — the season
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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