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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — a break
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — child
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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