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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — boats
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a document
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — to fit
  22. toast — bread
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wax — in the ear

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