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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — for golf
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a city
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — money

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