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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a partner
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. content — the amount
  10. ground — the earth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. content — happy
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — to drill

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