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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tube — a container
  3. land — a country
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — to come down
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — ground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chest — a box

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