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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: rest · mark · mug · cabinet · stock · straw · object · ruler

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. object — to protest
  3. mug — to rob
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. object — a thing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a face
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. object — an aim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — dry grass

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