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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.

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: ruler · content · saw · roll · object · squash · row · rock

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. object — to protest
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — a stone
  19. object — a thing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — the amount
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. row — a quarrel

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