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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. staff — a stick
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a word
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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