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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
468
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 · rest · bear · leaves · pitcher · cabinet · tube · court

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — for sport
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. court — of law
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — what's left

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