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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lean — thin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. toast — bread
  24. bat — the animal

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