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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — finally
  12. shower — rain
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — hurry

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