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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pass — a permit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. staff — a stick
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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