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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: stand · leaves · bear · last · rule · jam · straw · drill

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. drill — army training
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — to bear
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — to go on

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