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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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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: spell · rush · court · saw · lean · cell · foot · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lean — thin
  16. court — for sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — magic
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — hurry

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