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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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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: stick · nail · tube · game · kid · roll · bear · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. game — a match
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. roll — a list
  24. kid — child

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