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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: content · staff · lean · firm · press · scale · lash · leaves

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — the amount
  14. press — newspapers
  15. firm — a company
  16. staff — a stick
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — thin
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lean — to rest against

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