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

Word bank: wake · lean · rest · calf · bear · capital · straw · lash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wake — a trail
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — thin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — a young animal

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