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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chest — a box
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cue — a hint
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chest — of your body

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