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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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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: last · wave · object · staff · lean · rash · clip · bore

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. staff — a stick
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. last — final
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — thin
  14. last — to go on
  15. clip — a video
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — to drill
  24. object — an aim

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