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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: lean · straw · face · nail · pass · stick · key · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — in music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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