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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — an aim
  7. net — after costs
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. net — in sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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