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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — low music
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. staff — a stick
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — the season
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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