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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · straw · leaves · fine · rock · mouse · stick · club

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fine — all right
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — a group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. straw — dry grass

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