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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pass — a permit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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