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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: lean · wake · mug · bear · leaves · staff · craft · bat

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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