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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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. toast — the most admired
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mark — a grade
  6. toast — bread
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rule — government
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — to rule out

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