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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.

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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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