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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mug — to rob
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. clip — a video
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a cup
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. clip — to cut
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a face
  24. toast — bread

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