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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. firm — decided
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rash — hasty
  12. court — of a king
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. firm — steady
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — a company
  22. rash — a series
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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