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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: mate · stand · ruler · straw · rush · scale · saw · capital

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — to breed
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stand — to bear
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. capital — a city
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — a friend
  20. scale — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. capital — money
  24. stand — on your feet

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