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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: lean · chair · toast · roll · deal · bark · staff · mouse

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chair — a leader
  8. staff — employees
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mouse — the animal

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