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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bound — tied together
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. staff — employees
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — a container
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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