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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to click
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cue — a hint
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — a sports field

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