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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — soda
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. staff — a stick
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a committee
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. kid — to tease
  24. board — to get on

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