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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. staff — employees
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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