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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chest — a box
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — thin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. snap — to click

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