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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 120 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: rock · wave · rule · arm · straw · foot · coach · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — government
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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