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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. staff — employees
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. content — the amount
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — the underground
  14. content — happy
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — a container
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lash — to lash out
  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