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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — a position
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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