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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: straw · pop · roll · bass · fan · bore · object · drill

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bass — the fish
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — to protest
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bass — low music
  10. drill — army training
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bore — to drill

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