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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — a stick
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — size or range

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