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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: suit · pop · straw · stem · bound · land · mouse · rule

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pop — soda
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rule — government
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — a country
  14. pop — music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — obliged

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