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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — to bend
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — a stick
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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