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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: lie · snap · mouse · bore · tube · ruler · roll · bat

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. snap — to click
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — a container

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