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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 116 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: mark · mouse · straw · ruler · stick · drill · cell · craft

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — boats
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. craft — a skill

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