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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.

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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 · spring · suit · hide · pass · rock · mouse · tube

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lean — thin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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