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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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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: leaves · ruler · staff · date · trunk · bowl · arm · straw

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. staff — a stick
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. staff — employees
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. staff — employees
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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