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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — thin
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break

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