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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.

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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — thin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. spring — the season
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — to bend
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. shower — rain
  17. spring — a coil
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — to wash
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tube — the underground

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