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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. snap — to click
  8. object — an aim
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — a thing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — to protest

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