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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: stem · firm · ruler · swing · bat · straw · squash · drill

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — decided
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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