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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: fall · bear · straw · wind · ruler · spring

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. fall — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — to turn a key

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