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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in biology
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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