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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. band — a ring
  16. lean — to bend
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — steady
  24. straw — dry grass

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