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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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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: ruler · straw · last · band · rule · object · press · bass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. band — a music group
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — a thing
  5. rule — a law
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. last — to go on
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the fish
  13. last — finally
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. object — an aim
  19. rule — government
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. last — final
  24. band — a ring

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