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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · lean · straw · mine · present · foot · saw · ball

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mine — for digging
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. present — there
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — a measure

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