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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 124 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. net — after costs
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — hurry
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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