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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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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: racket · lie · snap · coach · lean · straw · ball · object

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a dance
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. object — to protest
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. straw — a straw man

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