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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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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: straw · snap · mate · suit · ruler · band · mug · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — soda
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — to fit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. band — a ring
  13. snap — to click
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pop — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mug — a face
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — a monarch

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