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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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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: pop · rule · straw · leaves · kid · staff · lie · bear

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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