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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: foot · suit · lean · pit · straw · cabinet · band · bat

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. band — a music group
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bat — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cabinet — ministers

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