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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: lean · file · mug · straw · lie · mark · sharp · board

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a document
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a grade
  13. board — a committee
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. file — a line of people
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a face
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lie — an untruth

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