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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: straw · object · stem · rule · wind · march

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. object — to protest
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. object — a thing
  17. march — music
  18. object — an aim

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