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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a match
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — ground
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fall — the season
  23. mate — a partner
  24. calf — a young animal

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