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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. prune — to trim
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — a price
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — to paddle
  21. charge — in control
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ground — the earth

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