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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 116 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: mouse · pitcher · staff · lean · object · spell · fall · firm

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. object — an aim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — steady
  4. spell — a short time
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — letters
  8. firm — decided
  9. lean — thin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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