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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: hand · foot · wave · game · lean · track · suit · straw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — to bend
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — thin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. game — wild animals
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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