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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: race · lean · staff · ground · wave · rest · mug · leaves

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. race — a contest
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. race — humankind
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mug — a cup
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — a position

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