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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 120 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: ruler · drill · spell · object · tear · fork · lean · band

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. drill — army training
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — thin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spell — magic
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — letters
  14. band — a ring
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. drill — a practice

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