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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lean — to bend
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — to rob
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. face — part of the head
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mug — a face
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. staff — employees
  24. stem — a stem cell

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