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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: suit · ball · leaves · snap · straw · rock · last · roll

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. roll — a list
  3. rock — a stone
  4. last — finally
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. suit — to fit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. snap — to click
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ball — a great time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — lets stay

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