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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: fine · kid · ruler · branch · drill · straw · date · current

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. 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. ruler — for measuring
  2. kid — child
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. branch — a division
  11. current — of water
  12. kid — to tease
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — all right
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. 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