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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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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: bound · fan · straw · ruler · mug · plane · cue · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cue — a hint
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — for pool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — certain
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mug — a face
  24. plane — in geometry

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