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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. present — the time now
  23. spell — letters
  24. leaves — of a tree

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