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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kid — child
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — to protest
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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