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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: rule · arm · deal · roll · tube · season · cabinet · straw

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. roll — a list
  9. rule — government
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — a law
  24. straw — dry grass

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