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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.

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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — to visit
  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