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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. capital — a city
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — to get on
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. capital — money
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mate — a friend
  14. staff — employees
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — a committee
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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