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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. clip — a video
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — for paper
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — high quality
  24. march — the month

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