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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: kid · row · hide · straw · mark · press · bore · ruler

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a line
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — to push
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — a publisher
  24. row — to paddle

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