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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.

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: straw · arm · trunk · mine · ground · fan · ruler · content

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — crushed
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ground — a position

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