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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: date · deal · lean · spring · hide · coach · staff · straw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — a stick
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — employees
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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