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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — a phone
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. staff — a stick
  12. object — a thing
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. object — to protest
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — an aim

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