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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.

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: mouse · leaves · club · game · wave · staff · firm · key

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — steady
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — a group
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. key — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — decided
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for golf
  21. key — the most important part
  22. firm — a company
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mouse — for a computer

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