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

Word bank: rock · bowl · foot · lean · pit · straw · leaves · present

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — there
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. present — the time now
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — a hole
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — a stone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lean — thin

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