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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. swing — in golf
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. staff — employees
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. object — an aim
  24. safe — out of danger

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