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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — a stick
  4. board — to get on
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — a break

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