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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 116 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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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: ruler · straw · suit · pass · shower · tear · firm · staff

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. shower — to wash
  5. firm — steady
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — a company
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — employees

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