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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: club · ruler · straw · roll · rest · hide · lean · suit

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — a break
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for golf
  17. roll — a cake
  18. club — a group
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — to fit

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