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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — help
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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