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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — the time now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. track — a song
  8. chest — of your body
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — there
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — employees
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chest — a box
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — a path
  24. chest — of your body

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