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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: rock · ruler · file · firm · straw · drill

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. firm — decided
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. firm — a company
  7. rock — a stone
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — a practice
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people

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