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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: lie · ruler · row · roll · season · pitcher · wake · straw

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. season — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. roll — a list
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — a trail

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