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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: ruler · date · deal · row · cue · wind · last · straw

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — to paddle
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — a line
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. cue — for pool
  22. last — finally
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — to turn a key

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