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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. field — farmland
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — a young animal

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