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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.

Make a worksheet

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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. season — in sport
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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