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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · land · staff · fork · wave · mug · band · lean

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a ring
  11. lean — thin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — a face
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — a cup
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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