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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 · patient · swing · squash · rest · foot · ruler · bound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. squash — the sport
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bound — certain
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — a monarch

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