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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: straw · ruler · stem · lash · roll · wake · firm · fork

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. firm — steady
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — a garden tool

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