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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: club · nail · hide · straw · rush · bat · stand · ruler

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. club — a group
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bat — the animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rush — hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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