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

Word bank: stem · swing · rule · straw · bore · deal

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — a law
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. swing — in golf
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — government
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to tire

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