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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
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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: cold · ruler · mouse · board · rock · straw · lean · suit

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rock — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — a stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. suit — in cards

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