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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 120 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: field · drill · ruler · straw · coach · wave · rush · cap

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. field — a subject
  3. drill — army training
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cap — a hat
  19. field — farmland
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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