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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: saw · row · toast · season · straw · fall · ruler · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. fall — the season
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of a king
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. season — of the year
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — to paddle
  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