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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fall · lean · pitcher · bear · fine · perch · pass · staff

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — all right
  11. pass — a permit
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fine — a penalty

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