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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a song
  6. staff — employees
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a path
  22. scale — in music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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