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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — a practice
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. present — there
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. march — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. drill — army training
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — in football
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wax — to grow
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — the tool
  24. march — the month

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