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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kid — to tease
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — a series
  14. can — a tin
  15. file — a line of people
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. file — a document
  22. kid — child
  23. can — to be able to
  24. file — a tool

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