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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: tear · face · staff · straw · lean · dip · perch · stand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to confront
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to point toward
  14. perch — the fish
  15. tear — to rip
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — thin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — employees

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