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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 124 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. capital — money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. capital — a city
  18. rash — a series
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mug — a cup
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — to rob
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — a young animal

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