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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.

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: leaves · squash · lean · hide · staff · straw · swing · pass

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. swing — to play on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lean — to bend
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lean — thin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — a permit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — a stick

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