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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · season · leaves · rest · hand · racket · bay

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hand — help
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — in cards
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — lets stay

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