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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — in a road
  10. foot — a measure
  11. drill — a practice
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — army training
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. scale — for weighing

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