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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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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: stand · staff · hide · wave · lie · cap · lean · straw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — thin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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