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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — clothes
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — a signal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a hint
  22. suit — to fit
  23. staff — employees
  24. hand — help

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