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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: pass · straw · staff · fall · race · swing · ruler · date

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pass — a permit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — a stick
  24. swing — in golf

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