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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: trunk · straw · fine · lash · lean · cold · rock · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rock — music
  13. cold — not warm
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cold — an illness
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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