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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — in football
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — a stick

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