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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.

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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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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: ruler · pound · shower · staff · lean · net · bear · bay

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — in sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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