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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: straw · ruler · rush · lean · game · stock · cabinet · bowl

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a match
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. game — wild animals

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