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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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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: stand · bulb · saw · bay · fall · straw · band · bowl

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. fall — the season
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. saw — the tool

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