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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: saw · squash · rash · content · foot · bound · leaves · straw

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — obliged
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — the tool
  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