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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. staff — employees
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rule — government
  24. bulb — for light

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