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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: rest · pass · staff · lean · mark · saw · wave · bat

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to succeed

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