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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a music group
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rule — a law
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — government
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — a tin

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