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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: mine · tear · pit · roll · craft · straw · rest · ruler

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — boats
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. roll — a list

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