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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.

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: march · hand · season · wave · toast · ruler · straw · mine

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. toast — bread
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — for digging
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hand — in cards
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. season — to add flavour

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