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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — a break
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for golf
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — on your feet

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