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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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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 · fan · rest · fall · coach · toast · kick · straw

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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