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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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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: bear · file · straw · ruler · firm · swing

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. file — a tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — decided
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. file — a document
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. firm — steady

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