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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — thin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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