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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 116 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: last · bay · mouse · stand · straw · rash · tube · leaves

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. last — finally
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — final
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — to go on

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