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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: ruler · row · drill · cabinet · march · straw · pass · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. row — a line
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — army training
  15. pass — a permit
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mug — a face

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