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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — a song
  4. spell — letters
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rush — hurry
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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