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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — in sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — a position
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — crushed

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