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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. land — to come down
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — thin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — a country
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stock — shares
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — goods
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to rest against

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