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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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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: rock · squash · chest · straw · roll · stand · mark · suit

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chest — a box
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. roll — a cake

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