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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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 — employees
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. race — humankind
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bore — to tire
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — a measure
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pop — to visit
  23. foot — the bottom
  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