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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.

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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: fall · straw · rush · mouse · lie · mate · fork · ruler

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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