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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 120 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
468
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: spring · fan · dip · kick · stick · lean · mouse · object

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spring — of water
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — to protest
  24. dip — to sink

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