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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chest — a box
  16. rest — a break
  17. suit — to fit
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — music

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