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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · roll · hide · rock · pitcher · craft · tear · rule

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a face
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. craft — boats

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