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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: lean · straw · wave · arm · sharp · present · spell · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lean — thin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. present — there
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. present — a gift
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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