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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: lean · saw · bay · kid · straw · bowl · staff · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — to bend
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kid — child
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lean — to rest against
  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