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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. roll — a list
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — out of danger

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