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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · straw · mine · bear · pop · stick · staff · rash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — a straw man

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