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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: pass · content · ruler · net · straw · bore · tear · roll

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — to drill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. roll — a list
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. content — happy
  17. pass — a permit
  18. content — the amount
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. roll — a cake

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