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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: rule · straw · march · firm · saw · bore · tear · date

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tear — to rip
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. rule — a law
  12. date — the fruit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. march — music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — the month
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — decided

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