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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: chest · pass · trunk · swing · ruler · rash · straw · firm

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — hasty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — a series
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — a box
  12. firm — steady
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. chest — of your body
  16. swing — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. firm — decided
  24. swing — to play on

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