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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: mouse · fall · plane · rock · straw · hand · row · rule

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. row — to paddle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — a law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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