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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — in football
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. firm — steady
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a dance
  20. last — final
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spell — letters

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