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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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