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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — the season
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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