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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — in cards
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. deal — to handle
  19. vault — a safe
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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