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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 120 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.

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: staff · rest · squash · lie · ball · straw · content · plane

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rest — a break
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — to crush
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a dance
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. content — the amount

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