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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
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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: mug · lean · rock · band · club · toast · sharp · straw

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — bread
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — a group
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — a cup
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. club — for dancing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. band — a ring

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