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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — magic
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — a hint
  8. board — to get on
  9. pop — soda
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — letters
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — music
  24. cue — for pool

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