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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — final
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — to go on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a ring
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a music group

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