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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: rush · bear · foot · straw · staff · swing · lean · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. swing — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. court — for sport
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lean — thin
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. swing — in golf
  21. court — of a king
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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