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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — a law
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — employees

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