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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.

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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: bank · straw · lean · tube · fan · bear · bowl · ruler

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — thin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — a container
  24. bear — the animal

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