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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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