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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 120 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: saw · ruler · band · leaves · cold · staff · row · stock

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — to paddle
  4. staff — a stick
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cold — not warm
  15. staff — employees
  16. row — a line
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — shares
  20. cold — an illness
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. saw — the tool

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