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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: rush · wake · ruler · straw · bound · date · nail · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bound — obliged
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — hurry
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wake — a trail
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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