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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 · spring · land · lean · fan · bat · rash · rock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lean — thin
  5. land — a country
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rock — music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bat — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rash — a series
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. land — ground
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — hasty
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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