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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.

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: staff · rest · tube · spring · ball · press · bear · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. lean — to rest against
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. press — a publisher
  9. spring — the season
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. rest — a break
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spring — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  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