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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: chip · ruler · stick · stem · rule · spell · coach · straw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rule — government

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