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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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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: lean · straw · rule · firm · deal · rush · capital · bat

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. deal — to handle
  11. firm — decided
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rule — government
  19. capital — money
  20. bat — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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