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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. firm — a company
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cell — a phone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. firm — steady
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — in a road

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