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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: swing · firm · mouse · lean · tube · object · sharp · staff

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. object — to protest
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — clever
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. firm — a company
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — thin
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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