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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
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: staff · lean · bark · rule · fan · mate · pitcher · kick

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — a law
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — thin
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. kick — in football
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — with a leg

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