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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. staff — a stick
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. shower — to wash

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