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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: row · bear · stick · cap · straw · stand · bowl · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — of ice
  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