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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a friend
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lean — thin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. drill — a practice

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