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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. staff — employees
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — help
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — in cards
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. club — for golf
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — a group
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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