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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: spell · lean · staff · fan · net · tube · row · nail

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — magic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. tube — a container
  21. net — in sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — a short time
  24. net — for catching

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