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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — a break
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kid — child
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — to eat
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mark — a grade
  24. drill — the tool

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