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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
468
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: stock · snap · straw · lean · can · key · chest · mug

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — goods
  4. key — in music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to bend
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stock — shares
  24. can — a tin

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