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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — decided
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — a company
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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