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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. object — to protest
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fork — in a road
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. object — an aim
  9. lean — thin
  10. staff — employees
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fork — a garden 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