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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: mug · roll · lean · fan · staff · hand · ruler · fall

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — to drop
  9. roll — a list
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fall — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lean — thin

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