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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. firm — a company
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — a country
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. land — ground
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. land — to come down
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — rain
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — clever
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — steady

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