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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — to come from
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — employees
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — a face

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