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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: mine · mug · hide · ruler · stick · straw · rock · rule

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mine — for digging
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — animal skin

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