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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of law
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — a stick
  18. court — of a king
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — an explosive

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