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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: straw · wake · present · toast · firm · ruler · squash · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. march — the month
  2. present — a gift
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. firm — steady
  7. march — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. firm — a company
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — decided
  12. toast — bread
  13. wake — a trail
  14. present — there
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. present — the time now
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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