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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 · foot · content · stick · object · rule · fan · band

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — happy
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — to protest
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a music group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — the amount

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