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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.

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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: ruler · mouse · toast · straw · drill · wave

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. drill — a practice
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man

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