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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. drill — army training
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. tube — a container
  15. pound — a weight
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a leader

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