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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. row — to paddle
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — a line
  7. present — the time now
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rest — what's left
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of a car

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