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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · rest · lean · stick · pound · bore · shower · staff

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — to tire
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — to drill
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — a weight
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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