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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.

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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — thin

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