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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: lie · chest · foot · current · deal · straw · mug · stand

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lie — to recline
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chest — a box
  23. mug — a cup
  24. foot — the bottom

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