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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · spell · mug · nail · pop · ball · chest · leaves

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. chest — a box
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — to go away

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