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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — to bend
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — final
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — thin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. last — to go on
  23. craft — boats
  24. last — finally

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