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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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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 · ruler · tear · rock · charge · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ruler — for measuring

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