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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. last — to go on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. last — final
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — letters
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pit — in a race
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — finally
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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