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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 116 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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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: lie · straw · kid · object · band · leaves · stick · swing

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a ring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. swing — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — child
  15. swing — in golf
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — an aim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. swing — to play on
  22. band — a music group
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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