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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rest — a break
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the instrument

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