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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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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: stick · mouse · lean · spring · firm · bore · foot · wake

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. firm — steady
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spring — a coil
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. firm — a company
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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