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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: straw · mate · ball · saw · rock · rush · arm · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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