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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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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: ball · bear · spring · lean · stick · racket · staff · sharp

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lean — to bend
  23. spring — of water
  24. sharp — exactly

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