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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 124 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. firm — steady
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — to eat
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — a company
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — decided
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. bulb — of a plant

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