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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. degree — temperature

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