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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · rule · lean · straw · scale · season · present · tube

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — in sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to bend
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. present — there

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