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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. object — a thing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — a stick
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — to protest
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. object — an aim
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cell — in biology

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