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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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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: stem · spell · nail · rule · rush · wave · row · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — letters
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rule — government
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — hurry
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — magic
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — a law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — on a finger

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