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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: mark · bound · racket · kick · straw · stick · nail · lean

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a trace
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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