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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.

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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: straw · ruler · court · lean · deal · staff · cell · fine

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — to handle
  6. court — of law
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — a phone
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. staff — a stick
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — an agreement

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