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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: firm · straw · stand · rush · ruler · mine · bark · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — steady
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. face — to confront
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mine — for digging
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. firm — decided
  24. stand — to bear

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