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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: cell · present · lean · racket · arm · saw · spell · straw

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — to bend
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cell — a phone
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. spell — letters
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. present — there
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. racket — for tennis

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