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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.

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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: squash · ruler · bore · straw · chip · rest · firm · stick

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — decided
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bore — to drill

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