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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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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: bat · lean · mate · kid · staff · dip · mouse · perch

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — the fish
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — employees
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kid — child
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mate — a partner

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