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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.

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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: object · present · lean · deal · charge · staff · mine · hand

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — employees
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — there
  11. charge — in control
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — help
  19. object — to protest
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — a price
  23. object — an aim
  24. staff — a stick

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