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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 116 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: wake · tear · kick · nail · straw · cap · ruler · pitcher

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kick — in football
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cap — a lid
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wake — a trail

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