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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: straw · rush · lean · cabinet · fork · bass · spell · wind

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spell — letters
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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