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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rest — a break
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — to bend
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — a safe
  10. sharp — clever
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — the fish
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to click

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