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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · rash · straw · wake · mug · date · drill · ruler

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — army training
  7. date — the fruit
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a face
  17. court — of a king
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rash — hasty

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