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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: lean · fall · spring · mouse · staff · object · current · bat

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bat — the animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — of water
  17. fall — the season
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — an aim
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to bend
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — to protest

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