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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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Word bank
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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: lean · staff · rest · rush · trunk · stand · spring · sharp

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. spring — of water
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rush — hurry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — the season
  19. rest — a break
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stand — for spectators

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