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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: mouse · staff · chair · lean · key · pound · last · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. last — finally
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — in music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — employees
  13. race — a contest
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — for a lock
  19. race — humankind
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. last — to go on
  24. pound — a weight

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