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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — a stick
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — to drop
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — there
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — a gift
  24. coach — a trainer

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