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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — to bend
  3. firm — decided
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

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