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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. present — there
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — a gift
  17. cap — a hat
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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