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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 120 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: rush · lean · mine · last · calf · drill · straw · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — finally
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. last — final
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mine — for digging
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — hurry

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