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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 120 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: straw · squash · drill · ruler · game · saw · cabinet · firm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — army training
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. squash — the sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — the tool
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the vegetable

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