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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. spring — the season
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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