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

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — thin
  4. season — of the year
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rash — a series
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — to bend
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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