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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.

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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: can · straw · ruler · spell · leaves · pop · saw · chest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spell — letters
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. straw — dry grass

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