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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: rock · row · straw · cue · lean · toast · object · trunk

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. object — an aim
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — bread
  24. cue — for pool

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