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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: rock · ball · fine · lean · bore · wave · straw · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a great time
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lean — thin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — with your hand

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