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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 116 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: fan · ruler · mug · lean · straw · spell · stick · pop

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — letters
  7. pop — soda
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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