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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — clothes
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — in cards
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. suit — to fit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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