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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · staff · pop · bark · straw · lie · stem · stick

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — to bend
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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