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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: straw · wind · ruler · bowl · swing · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — in golf

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