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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: mate · leaves · row · rash · stand · saw · ruler · bear

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — for spectators

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