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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — a container
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. content — happy
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. capital — money
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — the amount
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. capital — a city

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