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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — a tool
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mug — a face
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stem — to come from
  22. track — to keep track
  23. staff — employees
  24. pound — to hit hard

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