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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 · arm · mouse · band · bass · ruler · perch · mine

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. band — a ring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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