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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a document
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a music group
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. file — a line of people
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. band — a ring
  24. lie — to recline

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