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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
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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: leaves · rule · drill · saw · straw · band · scale · foot

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. drill — army training
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. band — a music group
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a ring

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