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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: bore · straw · stand · rest · lean · bay · saw · pitcher

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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