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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: staff · suit · toast · lean · chest · present · net · snap

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — the time now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. suit — to fit
  7. toast — bread
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. net — in sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to click
  18. present — there
  19. suit — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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