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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: mouse · rock · scale · lean · spring · pass · ground · chair

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — a position
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — the season
  24. chair — a leader

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