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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. current — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — employees
  11. spring — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — electric
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — thin

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