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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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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 · lean · suit · ruler · kid · dip · straw · tube

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kid — to tease
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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