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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — steady
  7. pop — to visit
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wind — moving air
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — soda
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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