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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — a cup
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — final
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. last — to go on
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a leader

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