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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — final
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — finally
  21. fork — in a road
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — on your feet

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